Cyn’s Wrap-Up on Champagne

by Cynthia Sin-Yi Cheng
December 23, 2010

Mathieu Drouet / Take A Sip

TO DRINK & BE MERRY
New York & Paris — Some of my favorite spots for champagne stashing & hoarding.

SHOPS

UVA
199 Bedford Ave
@ N6th St
Williamsburg, NY 11211
718-963-3939

Why: Out-of-your-comfort-zone selection. I come by regularly to see what’s new on the shelf. Keeps me updated on newcomers to the market. It’s where I get my Bouchard, Vouette & Sorbée and Ulysse Collin.
Finds: 02 Hubert Paulet 1er cru ($55) New name on this market. A classic blend from a recent stellar vintage by Olivier Paulet. A steal for the price! Billecart-Salmon Blanc de Blancs NV ($75) Fell in love with this at Cel’s wedding. Just a lovely Blanc de Blancs from the famed house of Billecart-Salmon; it’s crisp, clean and complex. Worth every dime for a non-vintage wine and in my book more exquisite than their popular rosé. Marie-Courtin Résonance NV ($60) Dry, dry champagne in the extra brut style from a biodynamic grower. A single-vineyard, single-varietal and single-vintage wine. Polisot, Pinot Noir and 2007. Surprisingly mineral and elegant.

Sherry-Lehmann Wine & Spirits
505 Park Ave
@ 59th St
New York, NY 10022
212-838-7500

Why: For big-name houses and high-end bottles, like Krug and Salon, as well as hard-to-find producers, like Bruno Paillard and Claude Giraud, this is undoubtedly the place to go. Impeccable service, selection and storage coupled with some of the best pricing in town.
Finds: La Caravelle Blanc de Blancs ($40) Legacy and quality. Diebolt-Vallois Blanc de Blancs NV ($40) Creamy wine from Cramant. 96 Dom Ruinart rosé ($250) Top vintage from an often-overlooked producer. Bollinger Spécial Cuvée NV ($50) Bond’s fave & the wine that turned me on to the Blanc de Noirs style.

WINE BARS

Terroir TriBeCa Wine Bar
24 Harrison St
(Greenwich & Hudson Sts)
New York, NY 10013
212-625-9463

Why: For the love of diversity and scrumptious food to pair with bubbly and a buzzing atmosphere.
Finds: Michel Loriot NV ($10.25 per 3-oz pour, $20 per glass, $80 per bottle) Ever wonder what a 100% Pinot Meunier champagne tastes like? Try this one from Festigny, an elegant rendition of this fruit-driven grape. François Bedel’s Entre Ciel et Terre NV ($155) is another hard-to-come-by predominately Meunier wine from a star female winemaker. The Vilmart wines, 04 Grand Cellier ($174) and 01 Coeur de Cuvée ($235), both rock my world, and also on my dream list is 96 Bollinger Extra Brut ($400) Amazing vintage, ready-to-drink, extra brut from Bollinger, disgorged 3 years ago.

Le Verre Volé
69 Rue de Lancry
75010 Paris
33.01.48.03.17.34

Why: To enjoy good bistro fare while perusing a champagne list that showcases the current trends.
Finds: Blanc de Noirs by Ulysse Collin (€40) The Blanc de Noirs version of one of my favorite Blanc de Blancs producers, which I’ve never seen in NYC. Dufour Noir et Blanc (€32) A Pinot Blanc-Noir champagne (50%/50%) I also saw for the first time here. They make a 100% Pinot Blanc version, too. How rare is that? And, you’ll find lots of Vouette et Sorbée wines here, as well, for those who like to contemplate and savor their bubblies.

NO NEED TO DREAM, FOLLOW SUIT

Oeuilly, Champagne, France — Champagne everyday, champagne in the snow, champagne on Sunday in the wee hours. Why would you say no?

PARTY & HOST IN STYLE
Want to learn more about champagne? Call on cyn-et-vin to host a champagne event, be your personal champagne buyer or indulge in a one-on-one champagne lesson with Cyn. Email: thia@cynetvin.com.